Building on its mission to spread jewelry knowledge, appreciation and culture, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts, is delighted to announce its newest educational exhibition, ”Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire”, which will be available to the public from June 10 to September 30, 2020. Since opening its second permanent campus in Hong Kong last November, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific has already welcomed thousands of students through its courses, talks and exhibition, and will now be offering new opportunities to learn more about the rich beauty of gemstones.
“We have to express our gratitude to our student community, both new and long-ago loyal ones, for their continuous curiosity, enthusiasm and support throughout the past six months since we opened our doors in Hong Kong. Through the upcoming exhibition ‘Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire’, we will now have the chance to surprise everyone again with an unexpected journey setting off from the unseen, inner beauty of gemstones. It is an engaging and immersive discovery starting from geology and gemology, for visitors to have new perspectives to explore the many facets of jewelry arts from photography to science, minerology and much more,” said Ms. Élise Gonnet-Pon, Managing Director of L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts.
Through this exhibition co-curated by Olivier Segura, gemologist and Scientific Director at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and Billie Hughes, gemologist at Lotus Gemology and award-winning photographer, visitors will be able to embark on a journey of discovery and see rubies and sapphires like never before. During the journey, one of the many fascinating things they will learn include the fact that these two precious stones are both scientifically of the same mineral “Corundum”, and both have a similar chemical composition and structure. What leads to a brilliant red ruby or the many colors of sapphires is completely determined by trace amounts of chemical elements found within the gemstone.
The interactive exhibition will feature photomicrographic images taken by Billie Hughes and will allow visitors to take a closer look at the natural birthmarks – “inclusions” of these minerals. The unique captures of the rainbowlike halos in the Burmese ruby, frosty snowball-likeneeds crystals in the Madagascar sapphire, or even starlike patterns glowing from within the trapiche ruby are much more than just beautiful imagery: the solid inclusions and trapped cavities also provide important clues to each gemstone’s place of origin, natural or synthetic composition, or even treatments and enhancements it has undergone. Through Hughes’ work, visitors can explore the microscopic depths and be dazzled by the inner and secret life of gemstones.
To illustrate the marriage between these nature’s gifts and human creativity, the exquisite photo exhibition will be accompanied by rubies and sapphires in their natural geological form – as minerals – and in their faceted form as well as heritage and contemporary High Jewelry creations signed by renowned jewelry houses. As part of the guided tours, L’ÉCOLE’s dedicated exhibition docents will be showing visitors how to search for geological clues within the gemstones through the naked eye and gemology tools such as the loupe and the microscope, as well as show how the gemstones can be transformed by highly skilled stones-cutters, then set into beautiful pieces through jewelry and stones-setting craftsmanship. The exhibition will be free admission to the public, with guided tours in English, Cantonese and Mandarin available with online pre-registration.
To illustrate the marriage between these nature’s gifts and human creativity, the exquisite photo exhibition will be accompanied by rubies and sapphires in their natural geological form – as minerals – and in their faceted form as well as heritage and contemporary High Jewelry creations signed by renowned jewelry houses. As part of the guided tours, L’ÉCOLE’s dedicated exhibition docents will be showing visitors how to search for geological clues within the gemstones through the naked eye and gemology tools such as the loupe and the microscope, as well as show how the gemstones can be transformed by highly skilled stones-cutters, then set into beautiful pieces through jewelry and stones-setting craftsmanship. The exhibition will be free admission to the public, with guided tours in English, Cantonese and Mandarin available with online pre-registration.
“Gemstones are often celebrated for their aesthetic beauty and vibrant colors. However, we want people to think beyond this – before being able to appreciate these faceted gemstones set on a jewel, we find them in their ‘raw’ form where they have not undergone any human intervention except the extraction from their mother rock. These ‘roughs’ bear witness to the history of the Earth and the upheaval of the Nature. Through this exhibition, we want to invite everyone – from the casual observer and the true aficionado of jewelry arts – to be able to discover, learn and immerse themselves into gemstones from a range of perspectives,” explained Olivier Segura, Gemologist and Scientific Director at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.
“Gemstones are often celebrated for their aesthetic beauty and vibrant colors. However, we want people to think beyond this – before being able to appreciate these faceted gemstones set on a jewel, we find them in their ‘raw’ form where they have not undergone any human intervention except the extraction from their mother rock. These ‘roughs’ bear witness to the history of the Earth and the upheaval of the Nature. Through this exhibition, we want to invite everyone – from the casual observer and the true aficionado of jewelry arts – to be able to discover, learn and immerse themselves into gemstones from a range of perspectives,” explained Olivier Segura, Gemologist and Scientific Director at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.
“I see gemology as the perfect conjunction of the arts and sciences because a lot of the scientific work that we do as gemologists are in service of the artistic and aesthetic appreciation of gemstones. While my photomicrography does rely heavily on professional microscopes, cameras and the manipulation of light to capture, the wonderful thing is that the naked eye still remains the first and most important tool to appreciate gemstones. I hope this exhibition will bring the community to L’ÉCOLE so they can see and experience the magic of gemstones for themselves, and then discover the whole other world that exists within each of them,” said Billie Hughes, Gemologist at Lotus Gemology.
Open all year round, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific offers courses in three major fields: Savoir Faire (craftsmanship) of jewelry-making techniques, Universe of Gemstones, and Art History of Jewelry. Those keen to go further to discover why gemstones are so unique, can explore the program of Gemology classes which can be taken on an à la carte basis. “Discover the Gemstones” will have students looking at the origin of gemstones, including their great variety and the different techniques used to extract and collect them; while “Recognize the Gemstones” will equip students will the skills to distinguish different gemstones with the naked eye and with the help of professional instruments. There is also a two-part course dedicated to the most precious gemstones of them all: diamonds, including the history and legends, as well as the science and gemology.
To find out more or register for L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific Courses and “Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire” Exhibition, please visit https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/hk or email [email protected]